


Recovery

by reylly_obiwan



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-15
Updated: 2017-04-15
Packaged: 2018-09-24 18:34:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9779459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reylly_obiwan/pseuds/reylly_obiwan
Summary: The aftermath of Rogue One, with an alternate ending. All of the heroes have survived...except for one: Jyn Erso. Struck down by a TIE fighter right before the rescue, Jyn has perished with the rest of Scarif. Director Krennic has been destroyed as well. Bodhi, Cassian, Baze, Chirrut and K-2SO are now heros of the rebellion, but do they want to be? Will they accept their new roles?***I do not own the rights to any of Star Wars or any of these characters, all credit is to Lucasfilms and Star Wars***





	1. Cassian

***Cassian’s POV***

I wake up to see  bright fluorescent lights above me and I hear a methodical  _ beep...beep...beep _ . My right eye is swollen shut and the vision from my left eye is hazy. 

Where am I?

What the hell happened?

I try to remember what happened when I was last awake. Flashes of Scarif come back to me. The death star plans...who has them? Did Jyn and I get the signal out in time? Where’s Jyn?!?

I try to sit up and look around but I’m stopped by an aching pain in the upper half of my body. My vision starts clearing as I lie back down. I’m in medical bay of some kind. Who knows how I got here. The last thing I see in my mind is me shooting Krennic. I shot Krennic...Jyn was running...did she transmit the plans? When I open my eyes, I see a droid looking back at me. It triggers more thoughts. Where’s K? Is he okay? The droid presses a button on a monitor and looks at me.

“Hello Captain. Good to see you alive.”

“Where am I?”

“You are in medical bay 65-E at the Rebel Alliance Base located on the planet of Yavin 4.”

“How did I get here?”   
“That is not a question I’m at liberty to answer, Captain.”   
“Who is?”   
“I will alert my superiors that you are conscious. Goodbye Captain.”

The droid leaves and I start to miss K with all my heart. Where is he? Where is anyone? I feel so lost. I feel like my memories were robbed from me.

Finally, I hear the door open again and General Draven walks in.

“Cassian!” he sounds thrilled to see me alive.

“General, what happened?! Why can’t I remember anything?!?”

“You’ve been through a lot in the last few days, Cassian. What’s the last thing you remember?”   
“I remember...I remember shooting Director Krennic.” General Dravin smiles. “And I remember Jyn running out to reposition the satellite. I had fallen in that stupid Imperial vault-I could barely even stand- but that was where we got the plans. The plans...where are they? Did we fail to transmit them?”

“Quite the opposite, Cassian. The mission was a success. You were able to transmit the plans to Admiral Ackbar who was able to send them to us at the base.”

“Thank god. Where’s Jyn? Is she doing alright?”   
He looks uncomfortable and adjusts his collar. He stares at me with a look of grief filling his eyes. My heart fills with panic.

“Where is she?!?”   
“She didn’t make it off of Scarif. I’m so sorry Cassian. She was shot down by a TIE fighter right before we came for you two. I’m so sorry.”   
The world feels like it’s spinning. How could this have happened? Jyn was the sole reason this mission was a success. It might’ve been a team effort workwise, but without her we never would’ve gotten those plans. She can’t be gone. I refuse to accept this.

“Cassian?” General Draven asks me cautiously. 

“Jyn is Jyn. She’s fine. She can’t be dead. She has to be fine. She has to be.”   
“I’m so sorry Cassian. I know this is horrible news to wake up to.”   
“It’s not true. I’m not saying you’re lying. But you’re wrong. She is alive.” 

I feel in my heart that this is true. Jyn simply can’t be dead. I remember us on that platform. I remember the satellite saying “Transmitting...transmitting...transmitting…”

I remember her next to me. She was holding me up. I was weak and injured and she was supporting my weight. She can’t be dead. She was there with me every second. We were scared and tired and hurt. But we were we. I wasn’t alone. Jyn Erso is alive.

“Cassian. You are such a hero, okay? The entire rebellion thanks you for your immense sacrifices. As well as Jyn’s. I know this is a lot to process. And you are still very injured. Take some time."   
“Give me as much time as you want. I know Jyn is alive.”

“You’re traumatized, Cassian.”   
“I may be traumatized, but that doesn’t mean my brain has turned to mush! Jyn is alive and she’s either stuck on Scarif or somewhere worse and she needs us! How dare you give up on her so easily!”

He looks defeated. I don’t know what’s wrong with him. 

“We’ll talk more later, okay?” 

He _sounds_ defeated too. 

“Talk about our plan for rescue?” I ask.

“Get some rest, Cassian.” 

And he leaves. I can’t believe what’s happening to me. This isn’t real life. Jyn, wherever you are, I’m coming. I’m coming to save you, like you saved me.


	2. Baze

***Baze’s POV***

I’ve already been here for two days and none of the rest of the crew is awake. Cassian is just to weak to wake up, I suppose. Bodhi is in a bacta tank fighting for his life. K-2SO is fine. He stands by Cassian all day like a puppy. 

And Chirrut, my love.

He’s not awake. Yet. He’s unscathed of course. “The force” protected him. That’s what he said to me as we were flying away from Scarif. I held him in my arms as he lost consciousness very slowly. It was like he was fading away from me. I was shaking him and screaming his name. Nobody can give a straight answer as to what’s wrong with him. Maybe he’s forced out. God, I miss him. Two days without talking to him is longer than I’ve gone in thirty years. I walk by his room and sigh. Poor Chirrut.

And Jyn.

Sweet little sister. Gone far too soon.

All I know is she is finally with her father. She may even be happier there, wherever she is. 

I’ve met a lot of good people since we were brought here. There’s the Senator Mon Mothma, who has a gentle heart like Bodhi. She calls me a hero every time she sees me. I guess we are, but I don’t feel like one. Of all the battles I’ve faced in my life, none were as bloody as Scarif. Never have so many men died at my hand. There’s more guilt than pride inside of me, though I know the mission was a success. 

A person I’ve heard a lot about is Princess Leia. From what I’ve heard, she’s sort of like Jyn. Strong and brave. Hopefully I’ll meet her soon. 

Then there’s her father, Bail Organa. He is a very wise man. Just last night we had an extensive conversation about the future of the rebellion. He seems well-read and knowledgeable, possibly he’ll be a friend in the future. 

The fourth really important person I’ve met is General Draven. I think he and Cassian go way back. He’s been at Cassian’s bedside almost as much as the droid, and he speaks very highly of Cassian’s achievements in the rebellion. 

It’s nice to meet them all, really, it is. It’s great to see so much passion for such a good thing. But I wish we could go back to guarding the temple. Just me and Chirrut, nobody getting in our way. His crazy ass talking about crystals to anyone that would listen. I took it all for granted. We ignorantly thought that we could guard the empty temple forever. How could we have been so foolish? To think the evil lurking in the shadows wouldn’t eventually creep up? Chirrut was too optimistic and I was too distracted. Too mindlessly in love with him to see anything bad in the world.

Those times are over now. The evil of the Empire is growing everyday, along with the rebellion. There’s too much that needs to be fought for us to ignore.    
Chirrut is going to wake up.

Cassian is going to wake up.

Bodhi is going to wake up.

And then we’ll get started.


	3. Chirrut

***Chirrut’s POV***

I’ve been stuck, lost, inside my head for so long. I’m awake inside my mind, but I cannot seem to wake my brain up. I can hear everything going on around me. Droids, monitors, yelling outside the door.

I’ve heard Baze talking to me.

“I know you probably can’t hear me, but please wake up. I need you.”   
I’ve heard him crying softly. How I wish I could wake up and comfort him. If only he’d ever listened to me and tried to bond with the force, I could reach him there. I can feel how much pain he’s in and it’s killing me to be powerless to help him. 

I’ve been able to feel our pilot, Bodhi through the force. He is very badly hurt. He’s crossing the line between life and death every so often and I hold my breath every time I feel him do so. I try to send him positive vibes and energy. Hopefully it helps.

And Cassian, oh Cassian. He was asleep for a while but the moment I felt his consciousness I knew he was restless. He’s angry now, angry and sad. 

But there’s only so much I can feel while I’m stuck here. I need to wake up and talk to my love. 

I’m just not sure how to do it. 

Keep waiting? Maybe.    
I decide to use the only thing that’s never failed me. In my mind and my thoughts I start repeating:  _ I am one with the force, and the force is with me. I am one with the force, and the force is with me. _

It works! Ha! I’ll have to tell Baze there’s another reason for him to believe in the force. I feel my consciousness awake and I move my fingers to make sure I’m really here. I can sense that I’m not alone in the room.

“Who’s there?” I ask.

“Oh, uh, yes hi. Chirrut, if I may call you such?” A shaky voice. He sounds young.   
“You may. Will you be so kind as to introduce yourself?”   
“Yes, sir. My name is Davits Draven. I’m a general in the Rebel Alliance.”

“Pleased to meet you, General. And where exactly are we?”

“Ah, yes. We’re on Yavin 4. Flown in from Scarif after the rescue.”   
“Thank you very much for that rescue.”   
“Of course, sir. It’s the least we could do after what your team did for us. We were cowards, and you managed to fight the impossible and complete the mission.”

There is good energy from this man. He’s very sincere, very genuine. 

“It was all as it was meant to be by the ways of the force, General. May I ask, do you know where Baze Malbus is? I’d quite like to talk to him.”

“Yes, of course sir. I’ll go get him right away.” 

I hear him scurry out. This is a good place. At least until we’re all better, it’s a fine place for Baze and I to stay. It’s not long before I hear his massive feet stomping into my room. 

“Chirrut! Thank god you’re awake.”

He kisses me softly and wraps me in one of his customary bear hugs.

“Were you worried I wouldn’t wake up? I was here the whole time, with all of you.”   
“How? Through the  _ force _ ?”

He’s mocking me again. Of course.

“Believe it or not, yes, dear one. You may continue to think I’m making it up, but here I am. And that is thanks to the force.”   
“I don’t care who it’s thanks to. I’m just so relieved to talk to you. Did you hear the news about Jyn?”   
“What news?”

“She...she wasn’t able to be rescued. She was shot and killed by an enemy ship.”

Jyn? Gone? It can’t be. I did not feel such a disturbance in the force. Even if she had died on Scarif after we were gone, I would’ve felt the bond we formed break.    
“Jyn Erso is very much alive, Baze.”

“She’s not. PLEASE, don’t say the force is telling you she is.”   
“The force is telling me she’s alive. She must need our help then.”

“She’s dead! Can’t you ever believe what real people have to say? Instead of some energy you make believe exists?”

I don’t answer him. I know Jyn is alive.

“I’m sorry. Chirrut, I’m sorry. That wasn’t fair. Don’t be mad. I’m just upset.”   
He’s lying down next to me now and I pull him close and kiss his hair.

“A lot has changed. We’ll figure everything out in time, right?” I say this to him, trying to comfort his aching soul.

“Right.” he responds.

“And we still have each other.” I add.   
“We still have each other. What else could we need?”

Nothing, Baze. There is nothing I need except for you.


	4. Baze

***Baze’s POV***

Chirrut is finally awake. I don’t know what was wrong with him, and frankly I don’t care because he’s fine now. There is one thing though...he’s insanely fixed on the idea that Jyn is alive. I know he must just be in shock or not processing it or something, but he is seriously fixated on this. He’s doing some meditation right now so i go outside his room to get something to eat. On my way there, I bump into Cassian. He’s awake! 

“Cassian! Good to see you up and about!”   
“Hey. Good to see you. How are you?”   
“I’m fine. You?”   
“Yeah, fine. How is Chirrut?”   
“He’s doing okay. A little groggy still.”   
“Yeah. Me too. I feel like I’m deep inside a haze. I can’t focus my mind at all.”

“Yeah. Just takes some to recover.”

“Hey Baze, come in here for a second.” He motions to a door and I see a small, dark storage closet inside. What does he want me in there for? I can never get a read on this guy. One minute, he’s saving the rebellion with his big heart and the next he’s a full on assassin.

“Why?” I ask.

“I need to talk to you.”   
I instinctively check that I have a weapon in my belt and follow him in. He starts to speak in a hushed whisper.

“Listen, I need to tell you something. I know Jyn is alive. I believe the rebellion either couldn’t rescue her or is hiding her whereabouts. She needs our help.”   
“Are you serious?!” I yell.

“Shh!” 

“Are you serious? You and Chirrut both with this nonsense. I know you’re upset, but you’re never going to be able to move on if you can’t even accept the truth. I mean really. Face the facts, Cassian. Jyn is dead. We all lost a part of ourselves on that mission. She lost her life.”

“I’m not refusing to accept anything! Alright. I don’t remember much from the rescue after the part where I hit my head, but I remember this: Jyn was walking with me the entire time. I kept falling over, she kept holding me up. She’s the reason I survived.”   
“You must just be remembering it wrong. Or your brain is coping and remembering it how you want to.”   
“You said ‘you and Chirrut both’? Chirrut thinks the same thing as me?”   
Crap. Why did I let that slip?

“Yes. But he was really badly hurt. He was unconscious for days. Like you! You’re both recovering.”   
“I’m going to talk to Chirrut.”

He’s out of the room before I can even attempt to stop him.

Oh boy. Are we going to be bringing the team back together for another mission?   
I’d like to say I’ll put my foot down but I know that’s not true. I’m just going to act stubborn and then do whatever Chirrut wants. There’s nothing I won’t do to keep him safe. If that means risking our lives to search for someone who’s already dead, then so be it. As long as Chirrut is happy.

I decide to go check on Bodhi. I find his room in the intensive care area and ask permission to enter. The droid gives me a mask and opens the door.

Bodhi is finally out of the bacta tank, but that’s about all he’s got going for him. He was nearly killed in that explosion. He’s lost his right leg and the rest of him is covered in burns. Poor Bodhi. He has such a good heart. Such a pure sense of decency in him. I hope he’ll be alright. I’m worried he’s not going to be the same person he was. I take a seat by his bed and gently stroke his arm. I hope he can feel me here with him. There’s nothing to be done now until Chirrut is all better. Nothing to do other than comfort Bodhi, maybe try to tame Cassian’s temper. But that’s really not my place. Cassian is a lone wolf. He doesn’t strive on companionship, he avoids it. That’s why he has a droid as a best friend. I stay by Bodhi’s side for an hour or so before I head back to Chirrut’s room and thankfully do not see Cassian there. 

“Hey, Chirrut, it’s me.”   
“Hi love. I just finished a very insightful conversation with Captain Endor.”   
Oh boy.

Here we go.


	5. Chirrut

***Chirrut’s POV***

I’m sure Baze isn’t going to like what I have to say.

“Well, the two us both think we need to plan a rescue mission to Scarif. Hear me out, now. As you know, I can feel everything through the force.” He rolls his eyes. “I never felt a disturbance in the force big enough to sever my connection with Jyn. I would’ve felt something shake me to my core if she had died. Cassian agrees with me. He says he’s never felt a thing through the force but he trusts that I can and he trusts what I’m saying.”

“You’re both out of your minds. You suffered a major head injury. Cassian suffered immense trauma during the mission. He fell nearly three stories! You’re both distressed and you’re  _ not  _ thinking clearly.”

“Why do you have to be so close-minded all the time? Can’t you open yourself up to the possibility of it?”

“I’m not close-minded, I’m realistic! The rebel fleet  _ saw _ her die! Why would they lie to us?!”

“I’m not saying they lied. I’m saying they might not know what they saw.”   
“Yeah, right. Seems plausible.”

I sigh.

“Dear Baze, not everything is black and white. There is no clear cut answer this. You did not see Jyn die, therefore you cannot definitively say she is dead. If you do say that, you are not being honest.”   
“I don’t have to see something to know it’s true. You live in this, this alternate universe. You can only live like that for so long. Eventually, you need to face the truth.”   
He storms out and I hear his boots marching quickly down the hall. Why does he have to be so stubborn? He’s so stuck in his ways. And of course, I love many of his mannerisms. He’ll come to terms with this eventually. 

In the meantime, I start thinking about how we should go about this mission. 

We’re going to need Cassian to fly, so he’ll have to finish recuperating. He should be good to go soon. We’ll need his droid K-2SO to help us with programming and coding. He’s really a wonderful droid. The real question is, do we tell the rebel leaders? They’ll think we’ve lost our minds, that’s for sure. But maybe they’ll help us out. 

Cassian could probably get us a ship without any suspicion. Yes, it’s probably best not to tell them. When we find Jyn and return with her, they’re going to have to get over the fact that we went over their heads.

The only hard part about this is going to be convincing Baze. I don’t want to make him do anything he doesn’t want to, but I know if I tell him it’s important he’ll do it for me. I just don’t want him to feel like he has to. I want him to feel like this mission is valuable to him. 

I would say well, he’ll take his time coming around. But we don’t have time. Jyn needs us now. I’m sure the Empire is destroying Scarif and any trace of the fight they lost right now. 

She won’t have long before the planet becomes entirely uninhabitable. 


	6. Cassian

***Cassian’s POV***

I feel so much better knowing Chirrut is on my side. It won’t be long now before we rescue Jyn. Chirrut told me I needed to be more rehabilitated. Pshhh. A few scratches and a bump on my head? That’s probably nothing compared to what Jyn is going through. I’m ready now.

We both agreed pretty quickly that we can’t tell the rebellion about our plan. There’s no  _ way _ they’re going to let us ragtag group of beaten down rebels lead a suicide mission to Scarif. They’re not going to know. It’s better for everyone that way. Like Chirrut said, when we come back with Jyn they’ll get over the fact that we went over their heads. The only person I’m scared to disappoint is General Dravin. If anyone in this wrecked world is family to me, it’s him. Since my father’s death all those years ago he has been one of the only people I can trust and rely on. He will never replace my father. But he can at least bring me some comfort in this otherwise cold existence that is the rebellion. Aye. He wasn’t disappointed when we took Rogue One to Scarif and won that battle. What difference will this make?

I need to push him out of my mind and focus. It’s time to tell K what we’re doing. I find him in my room rewiring a blaster.

“K?”   
“Hello Cassian.”

“We’ve got a mission.”   
“Oh? So soon?”   
“It’s a bit of a secret. From everyone that isn’t Chirrut, Baze, and us.”   
“I do not like where this is going.”   
“Right. Well, you see, we’re going to rescue Jyn.” I wait for his response with cautious optimism. 

“ _ Jyn Erso _ ?!? What kind of an idea is that? Jyn is dead! General Davin said it himself.”

“I know what he said K. She’s not dead. And she needs our help.”   
“Based on the conditions on Scarif and the result of the fight between the Empire and the Rebellion, there is a 99.9834% chance Jyn Erso is dead. That sounds pretty definitive to me.”   
“I don’t care what the 99.whatever chance is, K! I know she’s alive! We’re going to rescue her and I thought we could count on your help. But I guess not. I see everything she did meant nothing to you.”

K falls silent and looks at me for a few long seconds.

“There is a very high probability we will not find Jyn on Scarif…” He’s pouting. That means he’s in.

I laugh a little out of relief. “Yeah, there is. What does it matter? We’ve done more with less odds than this?”

“Have we? Have we really?”   
“I don’t know. Maybe. Only one way to find out.”   
“So I have to “be there” for Jyn again? Even though she’s not here?”   
“Yes K. We’re all going to be there for her by rescuing her. Let’s go.”

We start to walk out of my room and toward Chirrut’s. Hopefully he’s convinced Baze by now. 

“K! Remember, not a word to anyone.  **_Anyone_ ** .”

“Hmph. Fine.”

We walk through the halls and I feel a bigger threat to our secret now that my noisy droid is in on it. It’s not his fault he likes to speak his mind, I know that. I reprogrammed him after all. I wouldn’t trade his sassy remarks for anything, but right now I need him to behave.

I feel hopeful when I see Baze sitting on the counter in Chirrut’s room.

“Hey Chirrut, Baze.” I say cautiously.

“Hello Cassian.” Chirrut answers. “We’re ready when you are.”   
“We?” I question.

“Yeah we.” Baze answers. “We got into this mess together in the first place, right? Back at Saw Gerrera’s base. Chirrut chanting his usual force jumble. You pulling knives out of your pants and trying to bust us out. We’ve already been through plenty of crap together, with and without Jyn. If she’s out there, we owe it to her to help.” 

My heart practically skips a beat when I hear this. Thank god he’s on board. 

“Good to hear. Rogue One, right?”

He chuckles. 

“Yeah. Rogue One. Poor Bodhi. I wish he could come with us. Little guy is so good intentioned.”   
“He really is. We’ll do it for him too. This isn’t some heroic act. It’s a group effort.”   
“I’m glad we’re all on the same page.” Chirrut says, sitting up. “Cassian, do you have the means to get a ship?”   
“Yes. K and I will go down to the port. We’ll say we’ve been sent by a general to collect crystals from the nearby asteroid field. I’ll use some indistinct name to get us through. They’ll give us the ship, me and K will get everything ready, and you two will discretely hop on at the last second.”   
“There is a 59% chance we will be caught in our web of lies.” K interjects.

“K, what did I say?”

“You said--”   
“Hush! The plan will work. Does it sound okay to you two?”   
“Yeah.” Baze says.   
“Sounds perfect.” Chirrut says.

“Very good. We’re going now. Oh, Baze, before I forget. If you go to stockroom E46, here, take my ID card, you’ll find a stockpile of your weapons from Scarif as well as brand new ones. Take whatever is yours and sign out whatever else you want.”

“Excellent!” he says, grabbing my card and rushing out.

“Good luck getting the ship, Cassian. We’ll see you soon.”   
“See you.” 

I hear him reciting his mantra as K and I walk toward the port.

K starts humming something annoying and I tell him to shut up.

“I’m just trying to lighten the mood of our doomed mission.”   
“No mission is doomed from the start.”   
“Hmm. Not according to my--”   
“Shut  **_up_ ** !”

It’s going to be a long flight.


	7. Baze

***Baze’s POV***   
We’ve been flying for quite a while now. It didn’t seem this long the first we were going to Scarif, but I guess we were all a bit more anxious during that trip. Chirrut is of meditating in the back of the ship and Cassian is quiet. He keeps telling K-2SO to stop talking. I try to fall asleep but fail. I’m getting antsy now. I pace around the back of the ship for a while before Cassian turns around and sees me.

“Are you alright?” he asks.

“Fine. Just anxious.”   


“Tell me about it. We’re coming up on Scarif, by the way.”

I run to the front of the ship and gasp. The once blue and green planet covered in water is gray. Gray water, clouds, and fog covers the planet.

“Oh god.”

“This is worse than I thought it would be.” Cassian says dismally. 

“If you had listened to the statistics I calculated before, you would have had a better idea.” the droid adds.

Cassian glares at him.

“Well, at least there are no ships. I don’t see any surrounding the planet and there’s none on the radar. That death star really did a number on this place.”

I hear Chirrut come up behind me.

“Hey.” I say.

“Wow. That is mass destruction.” Cassian adds.   
“No kidding. Is it inhabitable?” I ask him.

“Only one way to find out.” He steers the ship quickly toward the planet and searches for a place to land. 

There’s ash everywhere. Trees are pulverized piles of splinters now. What used to be massive, powerful generators are now piles of scrap metal. This is the worst thing I’ve ever seen.

There was so much life on this planet; clean water, healthy trees and animals. Now it’s all dead. Killed by one single blow of this “death star” machine. I’m full of rage now. I hate the Empire. And I silently confirm to myself that there’s no way Jyn is alive. She can’t be. Not after the rest of the planet suffered such a fate. Why did we come here?!?

“There are air filter masks in the back of the ship. We should wear them.” Cassian says. He lowers the boarding platform. “Let’s go. K, stay with the ship. Alert me if there’s a problem.”   
“There is a 85.6% chance there will be a problem.” K responds.

Cassian rolls his eyes and grabs masks for the three of us. We put them on and follow him out.

The scene of Scarif is even worse up close. Everything I step on crumbles to ash. I can’t believe these two took us here. Cassian and his wild “visions” and memories of that fateful day. Chirrut with his usual nonsense about the force. I shouldn’t have agreed to this.

“Chirrut, do you want to tell me where on this desolate ball of death we’re going to find a living person?!” I ask. I can’t subdue my anger anymore. 

To my surprise, he stays silent. His usual long and dragged out remark does not exist right now. He’s gazing thoughtfully toward the barren sea and Cassian looks at him with a worried expression. He looks back at me and I can tell his hope is gone. 

“Chirrut?” he asks hesitantly. “Can you...feel anything?”

Chirrut finally turns around to face us.

“There is not much left of this planet. But there is life. Somewhere on this planet, there is a life-sustaining environment.”   
“Impossible! Look around you! Everything has been pulverized! We can’t even breathe the air!” I yell. 

“I didn’t say it was outside.”   
“Oh, that’s helpful. You didn’t say it was outside. Where else is it going to be? All the buildings are crushed.”   
“We’ll find it.”

“You know what? Find it yourself. You two just go ahead and find it. Best of luck.”   
I start walking back to the ship but I stop.

“I don’t know why I went along with this. Chirrut, I can usually give into your false intuition. But this is too far. This planet is as dead as rock. You two both followed some blind hope you had because you were too scared to grieve.”   
With that being said, I walk back into the ship. I know I went too far, but right now I really don’t care. This was a suicide mission. I had to stand up for something for once in my life. 

I sit down and put my head in my hands.

How did we get here?

How the  _ hell _ did we get to this place?   
How did we fall so far from what we once had? Guarding the temple. What used to seem like meaningless work sounds like a dream right now. What I would give to be back there. 

No.

I’m living in the past too, and I can’t anymore. I’m just as bad as Cassian and Chirrut if I do. There is no more perfect world. No more harmony and peace. This is the life we live now. There’s before Scarif, and there’s after Scarif. But before Scarif is just a distant memory, not a place to go back to. It is long, long destroyed. It’s as dead as this planet. We all need to move on now. I need to get over this, this obsession with the past. And those two out there, dumbfounded and sucking in oxygen from their masks, they need to face reality. Jyn is not alive on this planet. She is not alive on any planet. 

Oi.

If we only we could all be like K-2SO, calculating factual odds and being realistic about every situation. 

If only we could forget these human emotions and think with clear heads. If only. 

 


	8. Cassian

***Cassian’s POV***

Chirrut and I are carefully walking around the surface of Scarif. I can tell Baze is really pissed now. He stormed back onto the ship, refusing to help us look. I know he feels hopeless, but I’m sure he’s a little scared too. He’s been gone a few minutes before I hear footsteps and turn around.

Ah, speak of the devil.

“Hey.” I say.

Baze nods back.

“Listen. I’m not here because I support what you’re doing, or believe in what you’re doing, or trust anything at all about this mission. But somebody has to have his back.” he says, motioning at Chirrut.

Chirrut smiles. “Let’s get going then, Baze.”

We trek through the ash and fallen structures for about an hour before we notice anything. Amidst the rubble that we walk through is a small, dying fire. How can that be? What would still be burning for this long?

“That’s man-made.” Chirrut says as he feels the structure of it.

“It can’t be.” Baze says.

Then I notice the footprints. One set leading into a big pile of rubble.

“Guys…” I warn. “Someone has been here. Recently.”

I slowly creep toward the pile of rubble with my hand planted to my pistol. I see a pretty large opening to a sort of cave inside of it.

“Toss me your light.” I call out to Baze. He throws it and I shine it into the cave. Inside, I see a man who’s so covered in ash he appears completely gray. He’s crouched in the corner and he looks terrified. I can tell by his outfit that he was a sandtrooper.

“Hey. Are you okay?” I ask.

“Who are you? What do you want?” he practically shouts at me.

“Woah. Calm down. I don’t want anything. My name is Cassian. I’m looking for a friend of mine.”   
“On this deathtrap?! Are you insane?!?”

“ _ You’re _ alive, aren’t you?”   
“Barely.”   
“Come on out of there. Let’s talk.”

He very hesitantly climbs out of the cave after me. Upon seeing Baze with his massive blaster, he starts to run.

“Hey! Come back!”

Great. Now I’m chasing him through the rubble. He’s nimble but he’s losing stamina very fast. Breathing in dust will do that to a person. 

He finally falls to his knees and puts his hands up.

“You...win.” he pants.

“I’m not here to hurt you.” I say.

“And what about your little friend with the repeater cannon over there!”   
“He doesn’t want to hurt you either. Please, we’re just looking for our friend. Please talk to us.”   
He slowly stands up and follows me back to where Baze and Chirrut are waiting. We all sit down around his makeshift fire and he starts talking.

“First things first, I  _ don’t _ know how I survived. When that blast hit the planet, every single person either shook to death or got pulverized. I was underground with a few of my brigade. Instantly, they were all dead. I was knocked out, and I don’t know how long it was before I woke up. When I did, there was nothing left. Just this...this mess.” He looks glumly at his lap.

“I’m sorry. The destruction by that death star is horrific.” I say.

“Yeah. No kidding. We’ve known that thing was in the works, and we thought we knew what it was capable of. But seeing it in action? Those bastards are merciless. Using it on their own goddamn men.”

I don’t really know what to say so I just nod. Chirrut looks thoughtful and Baze looks solemn. 

“Well, anyway, you’re looking for a friend? I’ll tell you guys, I’ve been here since the battle and I haven’t seen another living thing. I doubt he’s still out here, sorry to say.”   
“Oh, she is very much alive. Not far from here, even.” Chirrut says.

“Not far from here? Don’t you think I would’ve noticed if there was another person near me?” he snarls back.   
“She’s very quiet. She’s used to hiding.” 

“Can you feel her here?” I ask Chirrut.

“I can. Now we just have to find her.”

“Let’s go.” I say standing up. “We can split up, 2 and 2, and cover more ground.”   
“Hold on a second.” the soldier says. “If you want my help, I want yours.”   
“What do you want?” I ask.

“A ride off this rock.”   
“Of course. You got it.”

Baze glares at me but says nothing. He and Chirrut start walking off in one direction and the soldier and I in another.

“Hey, what is your name?”   
“LX-5726.”   
I realize that all he’s ever identified as is his trooper name. 

“Can I call you Lex?”   
“Sure. Lex it is. Cassian, was it?”   
“Yes. Cassian Andor.”

“What are you? A smuggler or something?”   
“A pilot.”   
“Then what the hell were you and your friends doing on Scarif during the battle?”   
“Ah. Well. That doesn’t really matter.”   
I’m not about to tell this trooper that we’re rebels. He doesn’t need to know that. Not that he seems very keen on the Empire. But still. Don’t want to ignite any unnecessary tension. 

We’ve walked a while now so I figure I should be trying to call out Jyn’s name.

“Jyn! Jyn!” I shout. Lex joins in with me. “Jyyyyyyn! Jyn!” 

Nothing. When we’ve travelled almost an hour, I decide we should head back to the meeting place.

“Listen man, I don’t think your friend is here. I suggest we get off of this wrecked planet for good.” Lex says.

“I’m not giving up on her so easily. She fought hard for...a lot of people.”   
“Oh? What kind of people?” he asks suspiciously.    
“Whatever. It doesn’t matter. What matters is she means a lot to our group and she deserves our best effort.”   
  


I see the dead fire and the cave but no sign of Chirrut or Baze. 

Lex and I wait by the fire, not saying much, until finally I hear Baze’s heavy footsteps approaching. 

He’s been running, and he’s totally out of breath when he stops in front of us.

“We, we found her. We found Jyn. She’s alive. She’s alive. But come quick. By the looks of it, she hasn’t got much time.”


	9. Chirrut, Cassian

***Chirrut’s POV***

I can feel how weak Jyn’s force signature is right now. Baze gasped when he saw her, and I felt a great pain in the force. Baze guided me to her and I reached out to feel her. My hand reaches out to feel her face and waves of pain course through my body. She is weak, and she is hurt.

“Baze. Go get Cassian.” I say, trying to sound calm.

“On it.” he answers as he runs away.

I pick up Jyn’s head and rest it in my lap. 

“Jyn…” I say softly. “Jyn. We’re here. We’re here to rescue you. Wake up, Jyn.” I feel her start to stir.

“Chirrut?” she barely whispers. “Am I dead? Are you dead?”   
“No. You’re alive, Jyn. We’re getting out of here soon. Hold tight.” Her neck goes limp again and she rests her head on me.

It feels like forever before I hear footsteps running toward us. I hear the three of them walking toward us and I feel Cassian kneel down beside me. 

“Oh my god, Jyn?!” he asks breathlessly. “Can she hear us?” he asks me.

“She can. Well, she did before. I don’t know. We need to get going and get her to safety.”

 

***Cassian’s POV***   
Jyn looks more beaten down and broken than I could’ve imagined. It breaks my heart to see her like this. Chirrut says she can hear us, which I guess means she was awake. He says we have to go now, and without a moment of hesitation I scoop her into my arms. 

“I can take her, Cassian.” Baze says.

“No. I’ve got her.” I answer.

“It’s a long way…” he starts.

“I said I’ve got her!” I snap back. I know Baze is much stronger than me, but I have to carry her. I just have to.

We walk for what seems like miles before I finally see the ship come into view. I’m tired as hell at this point and sweating from head to toe. I board the ship first and gently rest Jyn on the cot.

“K!” I yell.

He appears from the cockpit quickly.

“Oh, well look who’s finally back.” he says with his usual sassy tone. Then he looks down and pauses. “Is that Jyn?”

“Yes, K, it’s Jyn. Now please act as a medical droid the best you can while I get us off this rock.”   
“You  _ know _ I’m a reprogrammed-”   
“I know! I said the best you can! Go!”

I run up to the cockpit and prepare to take off.

“Everyone good?” I yell down.

“Good!”   
“Let’s go!”

“Yeah!”

I take off and set the navigation for Yavin 4. I hear someone coming up and turn to see Lex.

Shit. He needs a ride somewhere, doesn’t he?   
“What’s up?” I ask.

“Well, uh, I know I asked for a ride off the planet, but I have no idea where to go, if I’m being honest.”   
“Listen Lex, can we figure this out in a bit. I just want to get Jyn help as soon as possible. I’ll take you wherever you want afterwards.”   
“Yeah. Sure. I get it man. She your girl or what?”   
“No. I mean, I wish. She’s an amazing woman. Fiercely independent. She can do anything. But she wouldn’t go for a guy like.”   
“Why not?”   
“I don’t know. We got off to a bit of a rocky start. I don’t think she trusts me.”   
“You never know, man.”

“Yeah. What does it matter now. Everything’s changed.”   
“Changed from what?”   
I realize that Lex still doesn’t know we’re with the rebellion.

_ Shit. _

How the hell am I supposed to go to Yavin 4 without him realizing it’s the rebel base? I know he’s uh, “done with the Empire”, but does that mean he can be trusted? I hear more footsteps approaching and see K appear.

“Well I did my best, Cassian. But as I said, I’m not a medical droid.”   
“Yeah, whatever K. You’re still a droid. Stay with the ship. Fly. I’ll be right back.”   
“And who is this in the copilot seat?” K motions at Lex.

“He’s a new friend. Be nice.”   
I practically run downstairs to where Baze, Chirrut, and Jyn are. 

“Guys!” Baze looks up.

“What?”   
“What the hell are we supposed to do with Lex? We can’t take him to the base, can we?”   
“Shit. You’re right. But we have to get Jyn there, now.” Baze says.

“What should we do?”   
Chirrut looks thoughtful but says nothing.

“Honestly, Cassian, let’s knock him out and leave him somewhere. We aren’t going to risk Jyn’s safety for a soldier of the Empire.”   
“Baze, you know we can’t do that.” Cassian responds.

“And why not?! What’s he to us? He could’ve been one of the people shooting at us! Why does he deserve our generosity? We got him off of Scarif, didn’t we?”

“You know better. Everyone deserves respect. We aren’t knocking him out and leaving him for dead. That’s as bad as leaving him on Scarif.”   
“Fine. Have it your way. Risk us revealing the location of our base for this prick. Risk Jyn.”   
Baze storms away but I step in front of him and stop him.

“Calm down. We need to figure something out. We don’t have time for fighting.” I say. “Here’s what I think we should do. We bring him with us to Yavin, leave him in the hands of the rebellion. They won’t kill him, they won’t let him go free, and we don’t have to leave him to die. Everyone wins.”   
“Works for me.” Baze says.

“Yeah. Sounds like a plan.” Chirrut agrees.

“Alright. I’m getting us to Yavin now. How’s Jyn? How did K do?”   
“She’s stable according to the monitors. But she’s out cold. No response.” Chirrut says glumly.   
I sigh and walk back to the cockpit. K and Lex are sitting in silence, but I can practically feel K’s hostility toward him.    
“Excuse me, Lex.” I say.

“Oh. Sorry, man.” He gets up and stands behind K as I take my seat.

“How much longer?” I ask K.

“Not much. Why are we bringing this man? Did you know he worked for the Empire?”   
“I know, K.”   
“Do you know what kind of repercussions that could have? Do you want to know the odds of him trying to kill you?”   
“No.”   
“They’re rather high.”   
“Shut up, K.”

“ _ I’m _ just trying to protect you.”   
I roll my eyes and ignore him. Not long now before we’ll land on Yavin 4. We’ll get Jyn to the medical bay and she’ll wake up soon. She has too. As for Lex, I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t feel great about handing him over to the rebellion, but what can I do? I’m  _ not  _ putting Jyn at risk to help him out. He seems like a nice guy and all, but he’s not worth much to be. 

Nothing is worth more than Jyn’s safety. 


	10. Cassian

***Cassian’s POV***

I’ve been sitting on the floor outside of Jyn’s room for so long that I’ve fallen asleep and woken up several times. A few times General Draven has tried to get me to come to his office and talk to him, but I refused. I’m assuming he’s going to punish me for going on our little rogue mission, but maybe not. His face was such a mixture of shock and joy when he saw us bring Jyn in that he might forget about the whole rule-breaking aspect of it. 

Lex begged me as we were landing on Yavin to take him somewhere else. I felt so conflicted. I knew Jyn would be safe now, being here on the base, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave her. When Lex figured out we were rebels, he tried to escape into the forest. I told him that we weren’t going to hurt him, but I don’t know if that’s true. He was taken in by Mon Mothma for questioning and he’s probably in a holding cell now.

Alas, there are more important things to feel guilty about. I  _ did _ save his life, after all.

I drift off to sleep again and when I wake I see K standing in front of me.

“Hello Cassian.” he says.

“Hi. What’s up?” I ask groggily.

“I believe Jyn is awake.” he says in the most matter-of-fact tone.

“What?! Why didn’t you wake me up?” I yell as I jump to my feet. I turn around and look into the window and sure enough, she is.

“Damnit, K!” I yell before entering the room. He starts to follow me and I push him back out. “No! Not now!” I hiss at him.

Jyn is sitting up slightly and she sees me walking towards her. She gives me the softest, most beautiful smile I have ever seen. It’s been too long since I’ve seen those perfect green eyes.

“Jyn…” I say breathlessly. I kneel at her bedside and take her hand in mine. I find myself at a loss for words and before I know it I start to quietly cry.

“What’s wrong with you? Why are you crying?” she asks.

“I don’t know. I never thought I would see you again.”   
“You thought when you  _ rescued _ me that you wouldn’t see me again? That’s kind of a bad attitude.” I laugh through my tears at her ever-present wit.

“I knew you were alive. I just didn’t know how.” I answer.

She looks kind of annoyed for a second and I wonder if I said something wrong.   
“It wasn’t the best few days of my life. But probably not the worst, either.”   
I smile at her and kiss her hand.

“Hey.” she says as I stare down at the ground.

“What?” I ask.   
“Thanks. For coming.”

“You’re welcome. Thanks for saving me back on Scarif. We have to have each other’s backs, always.”   
“That’s right.”    
I feel sparks of chemistry in between us as I reach up and rest my hand on her cheek. She’s so beautiful I feel like I’m gazing upon the eighth wonder of the world. I can’t stop the heat between us as I stand up and lean in towards her for a kiss.

Her lips are as soft as her gentle smile and my heart beats out of my chest when they meet mine. She kisses passionately but with a certain amount of reserve that leaves me wanting so much more.  We briefly part before I lean in again. 

Nothing has ever felt so right before. Any previous highs in my life are nothing compared to the adrenaline I feel now. Finally, we stop and I take a seat on her bed. She’s eyeing me with an incredibly sexy expression and I’m sure I’m smiling like a complete dork. Nothing has ever been more perfect than this moment between us. This is what real love feels like, and it’s better than anything in earlier life. I’m sure of it.

I try to snap out of the trance I’m in and return to the present but I find myself too fixed on her perfection.

She had my heart from the minute I saw her. Her fierce independence, her brute strength and talent, her sharp wit. I should’ve known from the beginning that I would fall in love with this girl. 

She’d never let a soul boss her around, even if it means her life. She’s got this loyalty to herself, to her integrity, that she refuses to ever compromise. God, I really am in love with her.

“Hey Cassian. Cassian.” I realize she’s talking to me and I hope I wasn’t creepily staring at her too long while I was zoned out.

“Yeah?”   
“Your droid wants to come in.”

“Oh jeez.” I turn around and see K staring through the window with his arms crossed. How long has he been standing there? What did he see? I motion for him to come in and he opens the door in .0001 seconds.

“Hello Jyn. Nice to see you alive.” he states.

“Hi K. You too.”

“K, didn’t I tell you not to come in for a while?”   
“I got bored.”    
I roll my eyes and sigh but when I see Jyn laughing I forget my anger. 

“Well, anyway, I have nothing to do now expect talk to General Draven with you, Cassian. Are you finally ready?”   
“What? Why do you have to talk to him?” Jyn asks.

“Uh, it’s nothing important.” I answer.

“Yes it is.” K responds.

“K! Go outside! I’ll be out in a second.”

“Fine. But he’s waiting.”   
“Go!”

When he’s finally safely outside the room, I turn back to Jyn. 

“I have to go talk to him about you, actually. See, we weren’t exactly supposed to go to Scarif and get you. Draven thought you were dead for sure. He claims he saw you get struck by a TIE fighter. Chirrut and I disagreed, but he refused to believe us. So we sort of snuck away and went to Scarif. Just like our first mission.”   
“Wow. I mean, I get it on his part. It’s all thanks to you two then, isn’t it?”   
“I guess so, yeah. Well, Baze too. He came with us. Reluctantly.”

“Alright, well, you better go talk to him.”   
“Yeah. Okay.” I say as I forcibly try to make myself leave. “I’ll be back as soon as I’m done.”   
“It’s okay. Take your time. If you see Chirrut, tell him I’m looking for him.”   
“I will.” 

I look back at her one more time before leaving the room. It’s so hard to leave now, after knowing the last time we were separated was on Scarif. I know with my rational brain that she’s safe, but it tugs at my heart that I’m not by her side protecting her.

K is impatiently waiting in the hallway for me. Do I care enough to ask him if he saw us kiss?

We start walking in silence and I decide to leave it alone.

“That was some kiss between you and Jyn.” he says a minute later.

Shit.

“Forget about it, K.”   
“Why?”   
“Because I said so.”   
“That’s not a reason.”   
“Yes it is. It’s not your concern.”   
“Hmpf. I would say it’s my concern, since I saw it.”   
“That doesn’t matter. Just stop talking about it. And keep it to yourself, would you?”   
“Fine.”   
We go back to silence and he thankfully stays quiet for the rest of the walk.

I should probably feel nervous as we walk into Draven’s office, but I don’t. The most important thing in my world is Jyn now, and she’s alive. I don’t care if he feels the need to punish me.

“Cassian. Good to see you. Please, have a seat.” Draven says as we enter. I sit in front of his desk and K stands behind me.

“Well, you were right. Jyn’s alive. Have you spoken to her?” he asks.

“Oh yes.” K answers before I can. I turn around and glare at him.

“Yes sir. Just did.”   
“How is she?”   
“She’s doing alright.” I say, trying to keep it short.

“I’m glad she’s alive. It is thanks to you all, of course. I’m sorry I didn’t believe you or Chirrut when you tried to convince me.”   
“It’s not a problem, sir.”   
“Just…” he stops and sighs. “In the future, I would appreciate a little heads up. If you’re going to leave and all.”   
“Sir, respectfully, uh, you wouldn’t have let us leave.”   
“Well, that’s debatable.”   
“Not really. You told me that I was too sick or hurt or whatever to know what I was talking about. There’s no way you would’ve given that mission permission to leave. Sir.” I add to avoid sounding  _ too _ disrespectful.

“Cassian, how do you know what I would’ve done? I wasn’t  _ against _ Jyn being alive, was I? I just had all my sources pointing to her being dead. Perhaps I could’ve sent out a more capable crew and rescued her.”   
“A more capable crew? Did we not succeed?”

“That’s not what I meant. I meant a group of soldiers who weren’t floating around in bacta tanks two days before leaving.”

“Alright.” I don’t know what else to say and I look down at my lap.   
“Look, Cassian. Communication is important. That’s all I’m trying to say. This rebel base is not the most perfectly run thing in the galaxy. All we can count on is each other. You did great work, and I’m proud of you. You should be proud of yourself as well.”   
“Thank you sir. I understand. Communication.” 

When will this conversation end?   
“As for your, um, friend Lex. We’re not quite sure what to do with him. What are your thoughts?”   
“Where is he?”   
“He’s in a holding cell. For now.”   
Ah, knew it.

“I don’t know what to tell you. I wasn’t trying to bring back some ex-stormtrooper when I arrived on Scarif. Thing is, he didn’t seem like a bad guy. And I just couldn’t leave him to die on that wasteland. I’m sorry.”   
“No need to apologize. Many of us would’ve done the same thing. He does seem like a decent man. I just worry that he’d go right back to the Empire and sell us out, as decent as he seems.”   
“I know. It’s not a risk we can afford.”

“I have to agree. It seems wrong to imprison him, but what choice do we have? One man’s freedom at possibly the cost of the rebellion?”   
“Yeah. It’s not something I’m willing to risk either. As long as you don’t kill him or anything.”   
“No, of course not. For all I care, he’s free to be on Yavin alone. He’s not going to get off this planet without a ship from us.”   
I nod.

“Alright. Good talking to you, Cassian. As I always say, you’re on of my best strategists. And after these two missions you’ve really proved your maturity. A promotion might be in the works for you, Captain.”   
“Thank you sir.”   
“You’re excused.”   
I nod and stand up to leave.    
“Goodbye, General.” K says as he follows me out. When we’re a few feet down the hallway he nudges me.

“What?” I ask.

“You’re going to get promoted!” he exclaims.

“Maybe.”   
“Aren’t you excited? That means more missions for us.”   
“Yeah, I’m excited.”   
“You don’t sound excited.”

“I’ll catch up with you later, okay?”    
K looks at me hesitantly but glumly trods away. 

All I have to do now if find Chirrut and send him to Jyn.

This is shaping up to be one of the best days of my life.


End file.
